


Hang in there

by splice (stear), stear



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Smut, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Gay, Happy, Hurt/Comfort, Light-Hearted, M/M, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Smut, candid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:54:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27629153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stear/pseuds/splice, https://archiveofourown.org/users/stear/pseuds/stear
Summary: Gadget reveals to Sonic that he is in love and in a relationship with Infinite. After the initial shock goes away, he and his mate, Shadow, decide to pay a visit to him. How will they react to this news? Will they be able to help their relationship and help Gadget integrate him in the society?Pre-established relationship.
Relationships: Avatar | Custom Hero (Sonic Forces)/Infinite (Sonic the Hedgehog), Avatar | Custom Hero (Sonic Forces)/Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog/Gadget/Infinite
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. Revelations

They were at their old resistance headquarters building, and the wolf was shaking before him, with terrible fear.

"So, spill it, bud..." said Sonic, relaxed and a tad jokingly, as if ready to hear a fresh hot gossip.

"Uhm... well... you see. I- Infinite..."

"Infinite?! You found out where he is?!" Sonic jumped excitedly. Finally! The resistance has been searching for him, trying to obtain any whereabouts from any sources they could happen upon, however, to no avail. For a while, searching for Infinite seemed to be in vain, or so the hedgehog thought.

Sonic looked closer at Gadget, and it quickly became apparent that something was wrong with the wolf. His voice, much softer than usual, was cracking, and Gadget was now tearing up.

"Well... yes. I... Sonic... look..." his trembling intensified, he stuttered, tears began falling, and Sonic thought the wolf would break down and convulse. Suddenly, very frightened, too, the hedgehog pulled the wolf closer, wrapping his gloved mobian paws around his shoulders. Gadget quivered, feet froze in the ground, fur stiffened. He looked down, not once meeting Sonic with his eyes.

What was happening to his dear partner in arms? What was happening to the wolf who always seemed so eager and enthusiastic to fight, to be alongside him? Was Gadget terrified of Sonic, now? He always seemed happy and eager to be near him. Now everything about him felt twisted. Did Infinite do something to him? 

"Gadget... What happened to you?" said Sonic, softly not to scare his sore friend.

"I... Please, Sonic! Don't tell anyone!! I promise you, I'll tell them myself!" Gadget broke down into a full sob, tears rolling uncontrollably, face in a twisted frown while Sonic was shaking, breathing heavily, struck by dreadful anticipation. 

"Zero- Infinite lives with me... at my place. I'm so sorry Sonic. I beg you, please! Don't do anything to him! Don't tell anyone! Don't -" Gadget was choking in his tears. However, he still managed to continue his desperate pleading. "He's been hurt so much by everyone! I don't want him to be hurt again! He's in so much pain!"

Sonic wasn't sure if what he was hearing was right or if his reality became a dream while he wasn't looking, perversely usurping him from his feet. For a few moments, he looked frozen in time, impassive. For a few moments, he thought he felt a cold, mechanical stab in the back.

Gadget continued his pleadings, choked and barely audible. Someone, somewhere, might mistake them for the sounds of a tortured, weak animal in the night.

After a while, Sonic pulled himself together from the shock. No matter what was happening to Gadget or what he had done to himself, he was in deep pain. Sonic could not allow such a thing to continue. He pulled the wolf into a hug. Whatever this was, he could not get to the bottom of it with Gadget in this state. He had to have the wolf explain the whole situation calmly, with all its circumstances in detail.

Gadget was convinced that Sonic would break into a shout or leave him, unable to forgive his actions, regarding them as nothing more and nothing less than an utter betrayal of him and their friendship.  
When the wolf found himself in a warm embrace, he immediately loosened. Instinctively, he pushed his face into his friend's shoulder, muffled crying escaping from time to time. Sonic squeezed the wolf's back harder, almost on the verge of discomfort and physical pain. 

The hedgehog took a deep breath and began speaking.

"Gadget... buddy. I don't understand a-anything, bud." Sonic stuttered. "Can't wrap my head around it at all. Y'know that. But it hurts so much to see you like that. How about we go to my place, make some tea, and talk about it? Maybe we could eat something, too. How does that sound, buddy?"

Sonic gently pulled out from the hug, and Gadget nodded. 

\---

  
The citric smell invading the wolf's nostrils was intoxicating. Sonic must have left the tea for too long in the water and, thus, it became overly infused. Gadget's tension did not vanish altogether, although, momentarily, he appeared much more composed. 

Sonic's house was chaotic, with only the living room, the bathroom, and partially the kitchen remaining after the war as the rest stood in pathetic shambles. Gadget sat on a lightly uncomfortable and dusty sofa. He looked to the windows to see stills projecting a dim, reddish shimmer. Dusk was settling in.

Gadget took a sip from his hot tea and took notice of a particular alcoholic undertone, namely that of rum. Sonic settled next to the wolf on the sofa while still offering him somewhat of personal space.  
He looked curiously at the wolf but then quickly glanced at Gadget's tea. 

"Sorry! I put some rum. Always drink mine with rum since I find simple tea too crappy. I didn't ask if you wanted it like that..." apologized Sonic.

"No, it's good," responded Gadget.

They both sat in silence for a moment until Sonic broke it.

"So, you wanna start from the beginning?" inquired Sonic.

Gadget stared somewhere, as if into nothingness. After a while, he began feeling some pressure reappear in his mind. He started speaking, visibly stuttering.

"Sonic, can I write? You know I don't like speaking much..." responded the wolf, quiet and with difficulty.

"Hey, can't you try for a bit? It's good training, and if it gets too hard, then sure, but the more you try the easier it gets. Believe me, buddy!" responded the hedgehog.

Gadget nodded, somewhat disappointed by Sonic's response.

"Great. Now start from the beginning, easy and steady, bud..."

And with that, Gadget began recounting his first encounter with the jackal, after the war. Sonic listened attentively.

It did not come naturally for Gadget to convey such a complicated and deeply personal tale, verbally and especially to Sonic, who was directly hurt and abused by Infinite during the war. He fidgeted, turned, twisted, and, then, finally started. 

\---

Gadget was yearning for a small break. 

Although Infinite was probably dead and Eggman vanished, the world's state was that of utter disorder, and the red wolf could not find comfort in it. He had relapsed on Adderall, a medication he had not taken for months, due to it turning into a dangerous addiction.

However, just being in the middle of the action helped Gadget to cope better, and working at homeless centers offered him an exit from his mind. Knowing that he had to be present, active, and ready to assist any mobian in need occupied his time and thoughts fully. It boosted his confidence, perpetually validating his usefulness.

This homeless center was packed and consisted of one big tent with smaller satellite ones, often functioning as kitchens, or small hospital rooms for those in need.

In the center, he ensured that the transportation of food, supplies, and medicine went smoothly, carrying each from trucks and vehicles to the tent. Then, he offered food to all the homeless mobians, clothing, and medical aid to those in need, in the order of severity. Some mornings, he would ensure anyone with grave conditions would be properly carried to the Resistance war hospitals, sometimes even on his back or in his arms when vehicles were unavailable. Sometimes, he would sleep at the center.

And sometimes, he would take small breaks.

Such was the case when, on a near street, during an idle walk, Gadget found himself before a hooded jackal, disheveled, bandaged, and in rags. Gadget thought nothing of it. Beloved for his consistent efforts to better their lives, it was not too uncommon for mobians who had lost their homes because of the war to wish to talk to him, to express their gratitude. 

Unsure if the jackal truly wanted to chat with him, Gadget looked around, noticing the deteriorating landscape surrounding him: whole towering blocks of flats half-collapsed, debris and concrete, the looming thick grey clouds suggesting the beginning of winter, the smog, and pollution of the past bombardments. The air was still, the atmosphere quiet and colorless as if Gadget was watching a silent old movie.

The jackal moved closer to the wolf and, then, he pulled down his hood to unveil his face. Gadget looked into the jackal's quaint eyes, one blue and the other yellow. He immediately thought of them as nostalgic, tired, as if hiding behind them veiled hopelessness, a particular sentiment of utter downfall. Upon gazing at them, the wolf felt weak in his knees, embosomed by a strange, almost unholy blend of pain and great happiness. His heart sunk. He felt a sweet sickness.

Mysteriously, the jackal proceeded to delicately take the wolf's arms and place them around his neck, so sleekly handling them as if they were fragile and on the verge of breaking into pieces. With no further explanation, Gadget found his hands surround the jackal's neck, and his eyes wide, unable to contain his surprise. Finally, the mysterious mobian spoke.

"Go ahead, wolf. I came to grant you your wish. Go ahead..."

The wolf did nothing. He stared at the jackal in fear and confusion, still as if he were a statue. What did this mobian mean? Do what to him? Why did he place his hands in this position, fingers slightly spread, palms resting on the fur of his neck? Was this jackal mentally ill? Did he desire Gadget to strangle him, in the middle of the street?

Not getting what he desired, the jackal spoke again.

"Well? Is this not desirable for you? You wish me to go differently? Which method do you prefer? Stabbing? Suicide? Perhaps a form of torture? I'm listening." inquired the jackal.

The wolf's heart sunk to even lower depths. Nothing was happening. The jackal continued.

"I suppose you're still confused about my identity? I am Infinite. My name is Infinite. I came to you to put me out of my misery. It is what we both desire, isn't it?"

That's when the wolf felt a stab of deep fear and rage in his heart and rapidly snapped. The enemy, the antagonist, the destroyer was right in his hands. The mobian who caused such cruel damage to his world and his beloved friends was, quite literally, in his hands. 

Gadget reflexively clasped them. Without thinking, as if in a trance, the wolf gripped the jackal's throat with all of his might. When his clench tightened, even more, he could see Infinite's eyes wide and his mouth agape, struggling for any breath of air. Muffled sounds of pain barely got through. Gadget looked at him, and an unexplainable wave of mercy and warmth encompassed him.

Yes, Infinite was a war criminal. Yes, he caused inconceivable destruction and damage. Yes, he deserved to be terminated. And yet, Gadget could not bring himself to do it. He unclasped his hands from within the wolf's neck, and the jackal fell right on his bottom, breathing heavily, desperately panting for air.

Once the jackal recovered, he yelled.

"What?! Why the fuck did you stop?! Hey! Answer me?! Are you mute?! Are you just giving up the opportunity?! Why?!"

The wolf pulled out a small notebook from his pant's pocket and a pencil. He wrote something on it, ripped the piece of paper from the notebook, and gave it to the jackal. The jackal reluctantly agreed to read it.

"I'M GIVING YOU A SECOND CHANCE. I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU." it read.

The jackal looked at the piece of paper mesmerized for a while and then responded.

"You'd like to know more about me? Here, I'll tell you a few things about me. I am diseased, miserable, and petty. I am a monster who attempted to destroy everything for the sheer pleasure of doing so. I am an absolute failure, utter shit, and a waste of space. I came here to give closure, the opportunity to die by your hand instead of mine. What do you mean, a second chance!? A second chance at what!? I'm wasting your time just by speaking to you. Are you going to finish me or not?!" spoke jackal, as the wolf kept writing on another piece of paper.

"NO. YOU WILL STAY ALIVE. NO EXIT. YOUR CONSCIENCE IS YOUR PUNISHMENT. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT MADE YOU BECOME LIKE THIS."

Infinite stood up from the ground. Wordless and disappointed, the jackal shook off the dirt from his already stained clothing and turned around to leave. He looked into the wolf's eyes and after a few moments, spoke. 

"I see. I am so disgusting that even you refuse to bring me to my demise." said the jackal lethargically. Infinite attempted to walk away.

"Wait! Where you're going?!" shouted Gadget. Infinite looked back, startled by the wolf's voice. He couldn't comprehend why Gadget refused to speak before if he was able to. Was it an act? And if so, why?

Gadget came closer, up to the jackal, handing him another piece of paper.

"COME WITH ME. IF YOU WANT TO REPAY ME COME TO MY PLACE. STAY FOR A WEEK. IF YOU HATE IT, THEN YOU CAN LEAVE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH UR LIFE." it read.

Infinite looked down at the piece of paper, then at the wolf, and then down again, and then back at the wolf. What was going on with this mobian? Was he just as out of his mind as the jackal was? Not only was he communicating in such an odd manner, but he was also insisting on inviting a reckless criminal into his home to stay. Needless to say, the jackal felt a sort of connection to the wolf, at least, knowing that he had found a person almost as deranged as he was. Or, perhaps, the wolf was suffering from pathological stupidity.

Nevertheless, perplexion brought with it some curiosity. Even if Infinite's sole goal was to die, he was intrigued to find out more about this red wolf, before his demise.

Infinite shrugged and then nodded.

Victory.

\---

"So that's h-how we met." finished Gadget.

Sonic took a sip of his tea. 

"And he's been living with ya ever since?" asked Sonic.

"Yeah... And- Well- We're- He told me a lot of things about him." Gadget hesitated.

"You're together? I mean, in a relationship." continued Sonic.

"Yeah- Look, I know this is a bit crazy-"

"It's batshit insane, buddy!" concluded Sonic, looking straight at his mate and without any of his characteristic smile, seriously worried.

"Sonic..."

Gadget moved his face to stare at the ground, uncertain and expecting anything from the hedgehog, ranging from a simple scolding to a fit of rage, which may probably pose great difficulty for him as his partner. The wolf started shaking a bit again, fearful of what may come next.

He felt a hand gently petting his back, easily stroking his fur.

"Look, Gadget. Am not gonna spill a word about this. But... Are you sure about him?"

The wolf's ears perked, and he quickly turned to the hedgehog.

"Yeah! I'm very sure, Sonic! Not only is he kind and very good to me, but he made me understand the suffering he went through that made him like that! I swear, I didn't -"

Gadget couldn't continue. The wolf felt his tongue twist inside of his mouth. He took a few deep breaths since he began hyperventilating. He wondered how he could be so calm during a battle, so clear, but not during conversations.

Sonic continued his gentle stroking and Gadget felt his tension succumb for a bit.

"Take it easy, bud. Need another cup of tea? Something heavier?" asked Sonic.

"No- Thanks. I wanted to say that it's not just that I'm in love..."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, buddy. I feel the same 'bout Shadow. I know what's like lovin' someone you used to fight to the death. Heh, guess' were in the same pool, buddy." said Shadow with a chuckle.

"I wish he could recover, Sonic. Reintegrate. I want him to live a normal life..." pleaded Gadget.

"Don't know if that will be so easy..."

"Can I hug you?" asked Gadget, suddenly.

"You're asking me if you can hug me?!" replied Sonic, suspiciously.

"Yeah..."

"Why are you even asking? Jus' cuddle with me all you want, bud."

Gadget pulled Sonic into a deep hug, resting his muzzle on his friend's right shoulder. The hedgehog smoothly massaged the wolf's back, noticing how cold his fur seemed to the touch, through his shirt.

"You're so cold, Gadget! Why didn't you say nothin'? Would've given you a blanket-"

"No... temperature's fine. I was just scared."

"Of me?"

"Yeah..."

Sonic looked into the cushion, disappointed and sad.

"He's real name's Zero, by the way. Want to meet him?" asked Gadget, out of nowhere. 

Sonic said nothing for a while, dumbstruck. 

"Sonic?" interrupted Gadget.

"Sorry, jus' surprised me a bit. You sure he'd like that?"

"I guess... he doesn't have many friends. Or any."

"Won't he still think I'm the enemy?"

"He's no longer our enemy, Sonic. Just like it was with Shadow."

"I guess... can Shadow come too?"

"I'll ask him."


	2. Sake

"You think he'll like it?" asked Sonic, looking at Shadow amused, with a huge cactus in hand, within a pot, while climbing the stairs towards Gadget's apartment.

"I can't believe you agreed to this," responded Shadow, with quite an angry demeanor.

"Hey, I told ya! Don't want to come, then don't come. What are you complaining about, now? Gadget's our friend."

"How the fuck am I supposed to leave you meet with a war criminal, Sonic?"

Sonic turned fully to Shadow on the stairs. 

"Look, Shads. If you make any trouble, we leave. And that's that. It pisses me off that you don't trust Gadget, at all, even after all he has done for us. 'Sides the fact that you're not my bodyguard and I am a high-rank soldier, too. Remember? Hero? Worldwide mobian?! If you come into Gadget's house you'll have to respect-"

"Yadda yadda, I'll keep my mouth shut if that's what you want." interrupted Shadow.

Sonic knocked Gadget's door. When Gadget opened he was immediately acquaintanced with a humongous cactus that was blocking Sonic's face. Gadget burst out into a chuckle then liberated Sonic from the burden, placing the cactus near the door of his balcony.

"Thanks so much, guys! S' very pretty. I was just about to get one, but wouldn't find it anywhere! Where'd you find it?!" bowed Gadget. The two hedgehogs stood in the doorway, slightly confused, and not knowing what to do. Gadget stared at them, bewildered too.

"Why are you not entering?! Come in! Make yourself at home." requested Gadget. 

They took their boots off, left them at the door, and emerged. Shadow turned to whisper to Sonic.

"Hedgehog, what the fuck? Sonic? The wolf speaks! I thought he was mute. Did you know about this?" whispered Shadow.

"Yeah," responded Sonic, dryly.

"Why not tell me, then? You never told me. Why was he not speaking to us before? What the heck is happening-"

"Yo, shush! You're being disrespectful, idiot! Ask him if you want to know!" interrupted Sonic, hushed, exclaiming silently.

Gadget came between them, interrupting their whispering.

"Guys!? Do you want to start with some sake? Shadow, I've never seen you drink. Do you drink? I've got some juice or maybe just cola too. Are you hungry? Me and Zero made some really good curry."

"Some Sake is fine!" said Sonic as he took his jacket off, placed it on the hanger, stretched, and emerged from the hallway. Shadow dragged behind. 

"Where's Zero, Gadget?" asked Sonic. 

"He's in the living room!" shouted Gadget from the kitchen.

"This is too much for me. Am I dreaming?" whispered Shadow to himself.

Sonic loved the atmosphere of the room. It was familiar, cozy, and warm, contrasting nicely with the chilly winter air of the outside. The living room was minimalist, a Japanese table placed in the middle of it, a television placed on one of its walls that did not seem to work.

Zero the jackal stood next to the table, waiting for the guests, gently placing four small cups on it. He braced for the extreme awkwardness that everyone was about to endure. Sonic approached him instantly, getting very close, disarming him. The jackal expected long minutes of uncomfortable silence, going nowhere. He was surprised to see that the hedgehog appeared before him, without any trace of apprehension.

"What's up, Zero?! Hi! Name's Sonic! Wanna shake hands? Bow? Hug? How do canines make acquaintances?" asked Sonic, very excited, or at least feigning excitement very well. 

Zero approached Sonic and gave him a slight handshake. He looked into the hedgehog's eyes, not knowing what to say. Realizing that by not saying anything, the handshake will go forever, he managed to speak something.

"Hello. I am Zero. Good to meet you on better terms. I hope." he said.

"Oh God, Sonic what the fuck are you doing..." whispered Shadow to himself.

The ebony hedgehog exchanged a few frowned looks with the jackal, but the tension dissipated when Gadget came from the kitchen, bottle of sake in the hand and started pouring the alcoholic liquid into all four cups. 

"What are you all standing for? Go ahead, take a sit. I've brought some blankets if you're cold."

"I'm good! Let's drink!" exclaimed Sonic, as he seated himself in front of Gadget, sitting in a lotus position.

"Wow, eager are you!" Gadget placed himself on the table as well, then Shadow and Zero followed. The ebony hedgehog and the jackal stood one in front of the other, Shadow staring angrily, constantly frowning at his neighbor, as Zero paid him no attention, instead focusing on the wolf and Sonic.

In a few moments, Sonic and Gadget took their cups and drank their contents in one gulp.

"This is so good! Haven't had any sake for a very long time!" exclaimed Sonic.

"Glad you like it, Sonic!"

Zero sipped from his cup, as though he was drinking tea and not a shot of sake. Sonic noticed that and began chuckling at the jackal, who did not know for what reason. 

"Ahaha, Zero, you're supposed to drink it all at once! It will hurt your throat if you don't!" said Sonic, loudly, to the jackal.

Zero looked at the hedgehog bewildered. 

"Really? But I do like its tase like that." responded the jackal, slightly amused by the hedgehog's demeanor and extroverted personality.

"You do you, man" Sonic responded, smiling and turning to Gadget. "Your speech is getting so much better, Gadget!"

"Thanks! I practice a lot. I mostly don't write on paper anymore when I speak to Zero. It helped me a huge deal!" said Gadget as he pulled his mate's arm into his hands, and leaned to him, resting his head near his right shoulder. After a while Gadget pulled out of the embrace to ask Sonic if he wanted another shot of sake.

Shadow felt more and more paranoid, more and more uncomfortable. He fidgeted, stared closely at the jackal, watching his every move, on the edge of his seat, ready to respond to any threat or semblance of it. Zero pulled his hand beneath his sweater to scratch an itch patch of fur. Shadow instantly jumped onto the table, both of his hands gripping tight around the jackals' arm, moving the table and spilling some of the contents of the cups on it.

"Shadow, what the fuck was that?!" shouted Sonic, turning to his mate with a mad look.

"Sonic, he was trying to pull out someth-" attempted to explain Shadow

"I was trying to scratch my fur. You may check if you'd like. I carry no weapon beneath my clothing or anywhere else" responded the jackal calmly, interrupting Shadow's explanation.

"Then what about the ruby?! Eh?!" inquired Shadow.

"It was destroyed after our last fight. The ruby no longer exists on my body, Shadow." continued the jackal.

Gadget stared, not knowing how to react. He stared at Shadow, his hands interlocked with Zero's. 

Was Gadget surprised? Was he sad? Was he disappointed by his friends?

"Shadow! Get your hands off of him, at once! What the fuck is wrong with you?! We've talked about this so much, yet you still..." demanded Sonic.

Shadow slowly and suspiciously removed his hands from the jackal's arms.

"Here..." said the jackal and calmingly removed his sweater, exposing his naked fur and the bandages at his chest that were covering a scar. 

All three of them stared at him.

"Wah, you're as handsome of a canine as Gadget is," said Sonic, with a great smile on his face.

"Sonic, what the hell?!" shouted Shadow, looking at his mate who was fixated on the jackal's body.

"I do not carry weapons, bombs, knives, or any devices that may cause chaos disruption, or null expressions in my pants either. Would it be more comfortable for all of you if I removed my pants too?"

"No, that would be unnecessary, jackal." said Shadow.

"Yes! Please take your pants down! You are a threat with them on!" shouted Sonic, euphoric from the sake.

"Alright, then," said Zero as he was unbelting his jeans.

"Sonic!" shouted Shadow at his mate.

Gadget burst out in loud laughter, so powerful that he felt his stomach hurt. He placed a hand on Zero's arm and stopped him in the process of taking off his pants. 

"What are you laughing for?" said the jackal confused.

"Zero! Ahahahaha! I'm dying!" shouted Gadget in laughter.

Sonic was on the ground, laughing and rolling on it, hitting it.

"I am surrounded by idiots!" exclaimed Shadow.

"What do you mean, you're dying? Do you feel sick? Gadget!" inquired Zero.

"Zero! Sonic- Oh god. Sonic doesn't think you're a threat, idiot! Stop taking your pants off! Ahahaha!" responded the wolf through heavy laughter.

"What do you mean you're dying?! Gadget!?" continued the jackal to shout.

"Gadget means that you're very funny. He's not actually dying, Zero. He's okay." explained Sonic, after getting back from the floor and trying to brush away all the tears from all the laughing.

"I see!" responded Zero, surprised.

Gadget came back to his senses, calming down. After some moments, the ruckus came to a halt, succumbing to silence. Shadow kept staring at the jackal apprehensively, ready to explode at any moment.

"Hey, will you stop? You've already pissed me off today." said Sonic to Shadow.

"What's the issue, now, Sonic!?"

"You're staring at Infi- at Zero as if he's about to detonate!"

"Well, how do I know he won't?!"

"Sonic, what Shadow is saying is understandable. It does not bother me. There's no need to turn against him." interrupted the jackal calmly. All of the eyes turned to Zero, again.

"What do you mean?" asked Sonic, saddened by how Zero responded. "Zero, you should stand up for yourself more! No reason to think people should think badly of you if you have no bad intentions, agree?"

"No reason? Sonic, I believe you are aware of the harm I've done in this world. It is only natural not to be accepted easily and not to be trusted. I did not expect people to receive me with open arms, or to receive me at all. That would be preposterous."

"I guess... but people change and they deserve forgiveness if the intentions are true, and I trust that Gadget can see if you can make that effort! 'Sides, it's unhealthy to not have wants of your own."

"Ah, the wolf here. He's been very good with me. So good, in fact, that he's the only reason I want to live in this world. My only desire is to protect him and respect his wishes, but besides that, I have no other desires. If you wish to offer me forgiveness, then I will appreciate it very much, and if you don't, then that's more than understandable."

"What about your dead buddies, Infinite? Do you no longer care about avenging them?" 

Zero twitched a bit and turned to Shadow. He frowned at him for a moment, then his frown dissipated. 

"I do respect the dead, Shadow. However, I have someone to look forward to the future for, and therefore I can put my past behind and the dead to rest in peace. I no longer hold a grudge, even against you, for what you've done." concluded Zero.

"I think this is a bit hard to swallow if you don't mind me saying, Infinite." responded Shadow.

"I completely understand that it is so."

"What... what Shadow's done? W- What do you mean, Zero?" asked Sonic, fearfully, stuttering.

"It doesn't matter, hedgehog," responded Shadow.

"Dead buddies? What the fuck?! Zero, what happened? You two knew each other?" 

"I suppose we did, but it was only military business. It makes no importance in the world, today. I'd like it if we could leave this all behind, Sonic." responded Zero, sternly.

"Sonic, I'll explain later. It's not that important. Trust me, I'll tell you. I just don't think now's the moment for these sort of discussions." intervened Shadow.

Sonic looked at Gadget bewildered. 

"I guess you know about this, too, Gadget?" asked Sonic.

Gadget nodded. 

"Yeah, but let's talk 'bout it later, it's better. And Zero says it doesn't matter so whatever, better not disturb the past. Want another cup of sake? Something to eat?"

"Another cup would be good," said Sonic, disappointed, looking down into his empty cup.

Gadget got up, took the bottle of sake, and started pouring the liquid into the cup, refilling it. Then Shadow's and Zero's followed. Finally, he filled his own cup.

"There, maybe that'll lift everyone's spirits!" exclaimed the wolf.


End file.
